2 weeks from today we will be leaving on our little "trip". Little HA! This is a big trip for us and with that has come a lot, TONS, of pre-planning to make sure that it goes nice and smoothly.
As you know vacations can become pretty pricy. And trips to Disney, well they are pricey! We are attempting Disney on a budget this time around. So here are some ideas that we have come up with to help save some pennies on this trip.
~Since we live on the east coast we decided to drive and take what we wanted with us. We figured that driving would be about as much as flying since Mason now requires a ticket to fly so we would be paying for 3 people to fly. We are splitting up the driving between 2 days though to make it easier on this momma to be and a 2.5 year old. I am so excited to be stopping in cities that I have never visited before! Since we are driving we can take Mason's mattress with us since he has never slept in a twin sized bed yet plus his toys and some of his plates and cups. Plus toys and other things that he likes. I feel like we are going to pack up the whole house just for this kid! (so thankful for my van! It can haul a ton of stuff!)
~Time share- We are going on this trip with a friend and her hubby and we are staying in a time share as opposed to staying on the Disney Resort. (The night before the race K and I will be staying on Resort while the men stay at the time share so that her and I can get some sleep before the very early wake- up call!) By doing this we are able to save money. Try to see if timeshares have transportation provided to the parks or not because then you have to pay for parking everyday or every time you leave and come back to the park. Which can get pricey.
~Bring your own food. With staying in a Time Share we are getting a full kitchen. Disney resorts do have some accommodations that have full kitchens in them so there are some options there. And if you fly it is hard to bring your own food but you can still shop at the store and make your own food and still save money. Food at the parks can get expensive! Dinner- I am bringing 5 freezer meals for dinner with us. We are keeping them good in a chest with dry ice on the way down to make sure they stay frozen. Pack a lunch- We will be brining our lunches with us on most of the days. I am making all the bread needed for PB &J sandwiches and will have some snacks pre made for the days to keep the kid entertained. We are stopping at the store to get the basic essentials that we will need for the week, fruit, veggies, milk and eggs.
~Bring you own water bottles. There are drinking fountains all over the parks and water bottles get expensive if you have to buy one every time you get thirsty, and our kid, LOVES water! So this is a must for us, his cup and water bottles for us.
~There are different ways to get discounts on ticket prices. Military can go through their MWR to get military priced tickets. Travel agencies can possibly get you a discounted package price or AAA might have variation prices or purchase a package with lower prices. Most people want to spend 5 days at the parks but they might only have a 4 day and 4 night package. It might save you a ton of money to do that option instead of the 5 day option.
I still have a ton of things to do before we leave but I can't believe that this is so close now! I love Disney and am so excited to see Mason experience Disney for the first time!
